Ice-creeper attachment for horseshoes.



D. W. THOMAS.

ICE CREEPER ATTACHMENT FOR HORSESHOES APPLICATION FILED 02mm. 1914.

1,1 34;,Q96 Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Witnesses D. W. THOMAS.

ICE CREEPER ATTACHMENT FOR HORSESHOES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.3I, 1914.

1,1 34,296, Patented Apr. 6. 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET z.

Inventor,

Attorneys,

rain.

DANIEL W. THOIVLAS,

OF RICHMOND,

INDIANA.

ICE-CREEPER ATTACHMENT FOR HORSESI-IOES.

Application filed December 31, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL W. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Richmond, in the county of 'Wayne and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Ice-Creeper Attachment for Horseshoes, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to ice creeper attachments for horseshoes, one of the objects of the invention being to provide an attachment of this character which can be applied readily to horseshoes of different shapes and sizes without necessitating any change in the configuration of any part of the attachment, so that it is thus possible for any one to apply the attachment without the assistance of a skilled mechanic.

A further object is to provide simple and eilicient means for holding the attachment to the shoe so that it cannot shift in any direction relative thereto.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings :Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a horseshoe having the present improvements combined therewith. Fig. 2 is a section on line AB Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line CD Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a section on line EF Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the calk holders, the calks being shown in position. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the gripping plate. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan view of a portion of a horseshoe having a slightly modified form of creeper applied thereto. Fig. 8 is a section on line GH Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a bottom plan view of a portion of a horseshoe showing another modified form of creeper. Fig. 10 is a section on line I-J Fig. 9.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates an arcuate plate of uniform width throughout its length and provided, at each end, with a boss 2 extending from the active face of the plate. Each Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Serial No. 879,900.

boss has a bore 3 extending therethrough and through the plate 1, said bore being tapered toward the outer end of the boss so as to receive and properly hold a tapered calk 4: the larger end of which is adapted normally to lie flush with the inner fiat face of the plate 1.

A transverse channel or groove 5 is provided in the flat or bearing face of the plate 1 and the said plate is reinforced along this groove by the provision of a transverse rib 6 upon that face of the plate from which the bosses 2 extend. Arcuate ribs 7 extend from the bosses to the transverse rib 6 so that the plate 1 is thus stiffened longitudinally as well as transversely. The groove or channel 5 is of such size as to receive snugly a bolt 8 having an elongated head 9 the ends of which are provided with lugs 10 extending at right angles from the head. Bolt 8 is adapted to extend into an opening 11 provided in the middle portion of a gripping plate 12. This gripping plate is provided along one edge with a flange 13 while eX- tending from the opposed edge are spaced tongues 14, each of which has a groove 15 extending transversely thereof. The distance between the tongues 14 and the flange 18 is substantially equal to the combined thicknesses of the plate 1 and a shoe S to which the plate is to be attached.

In applying the attachment to a shoe the gripping plate 12 is placed against the inner or concave edge of the plate 1 and the tongues 1a are caused to rest upon the plate with the ribs 7 within the grooves 15. The calks 1 are inserted through the openings or bores 3, after which plate 1 is slipped laterally onto the shoe S from the inner side thereof. This will bring the flange 13 into engagement with one face of the shoe while the plate 1 will engage the opposite face of the shoe. Furthermore the ealks 4: will thrust against the shoe so as to be held against displacement relative to the plate 1. After the parts have been assembled, the bolt 8 is inserted into the groove or channel 5 from the outer side of the shoe so as to bring the head 9 of the bolt into engagement with the outer edges of the shoe and plate 1, as shown particularly in Fig. 2. This bolt extends through the opening 11 in gripping plate 12 and by placing a spring washer 16 or other suitable nut locking device upon the bolt, a nut 17 can be used for drawing all of the parts together and this nut will then be held against loosening. As the tongues 14 straddle the ribs 7, the plate 1 will be prevented from swinging horizontally out of position on the shoe. If preferred, however, this displacement of the attachment can be further resisted by providing lugs 18 upon the large ends of the calks 4, these lugs entering recesses 19 which are formed in the shoe S in any suitable manner as by means of a punch, drill or the like.

Importance is attached to the fact thatthe only projecting portions upon the outer side of the shoe S are the heads 9 and, consequently, there is no danger of the horse striking and injuring itself as would be the case should parts of the attachment be located outside of the shoe. It will be noted, furthermore, that the plate 1 merely constitutes a calk holder, the shoe S receiving practically all of the strain to which the calks are subjected.

If preferred, and as shown in Fig. 7 the tongues 14, which correspond with the tongues 1d heretofore described, can be extended short distances beyond the longitudinal ribs on the plate 1 and can be secured to the plate by means of rivets 20 or the like.

As has been illustrated in Fig. 9, instead of forming the calk holding plate and the gripping plate in two separate pieces, the tongues 14 and 1A may be dispensed with and a gripping plate 21 may be provided along the inner side of the holding plate 22 and formed in one piece therewith. In all other respects than those stated, the modified structures shown in Figs. 7 and 9 correspond with the structure illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 inclusive.

It will be noted that the creeper attachment can be applied to a shoe without requiring the services of a skilled mechanic and, when once in position, will be held fixedly to the shoe without danger of accidental displacement and loss.

It will be seen that as the holding plate illustrated in the several figures is not pro vided with any outer flange for lapping a shoe, said plate can be adjusted along a shoe to any point desired without causing the plate to project anundesirable distance be yond the side of the shoe. Consequently the attachment can be applied readily to shoes of difierent shapes and sizes simply by adjusting it along the shoe to the point where it is desired to attach it. This application of the attachment to shoes of different shapes and sizes can be effected without 7 making any change in the shape of any part of the attachment. 7 7

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, one or more small lugs or projections 23 can be pro vided upon the inner surface of the grip ping plate so as to project into a corresponding groove or recess 24 in the inner side of the horseshoe, thus to hold the attachment against sliding movement upon the shoe. With a constructionsuch as here described it would be unnecessary to have any lugs upon the calks such as shown in Fig. 41.

WVhat is claimed is 1. A creeper attachment for-horseshoes, including a holding plate having a flat shoe engaging face, said plate being curved laterally, calks carried by the plate, a gripping plate for engaging the inner side of a shoe, an extension upon said gripping plate for engaging the hoof engaging surface of the shoe, a bolt extending between the shoe and plate and extending through said gripping plate, a head upon the bolt for straddling the outer side of'the shoe and plate, and means engaging the inner end of the bolt for holding the bolt in engaging position.

2. A creeper attachment for horseshoes, 7'

thereby, said plate having a transverse groove in its shoe engaging face, a gripping plate for engaging the inner side of the'holding plate and the inner side of the shoe to which the plate is attached, means upon the gripping plate for engaging the hoof engaging surface of a shoe, means upon said gripping plate for engaging the bottom face of the holding .plate, a, bolt seated within the transverse groove, means thereon for straddling and engaging the outer side of the holding plate and shoe to tie them together, and means engaging the inner end of the bolt for securing it in active position.

45A creeper attachment for horseshoes,

including a holding plate, calks extending therefrom, longitudinal ribs upon the plate and between the calks, there being a trans' verse groove within the shoe engaging face of the holding plate, a gripping plate for engaging the inner side of the holding plate, F

means extending therefrom for engaging the longltudinal ribs to hold the gripping plate against lateral displacement relative to the holding plate, means upon the gripping plate for engaging the hoof engaging face'of the shoe to which the plate is. at tached, a bolt within the transverse groove and extending through the gripping plate, means upon the bolt for straddling the outer sides of the holding plate and shoe respectively to tie them together, and means engaging the inner end of the bolt for bind ing the gripping plate to the holding plate.

5. The combination With a horseshoe having a recess therein, of a holding plate having a flat face engaging the shoe, there being bores Within the holding plate, tapered calks Within the bores and having their broad ends bearing against the shoe, said holding plate having a transverse groove in the shoe engaging one face thereof, a shoe gripping plate upon the inner side of the holding plate and adapted to straddle and engage the inner side of the shoe, a bolt seated Within the groove and between the holding plate and shoe, means upon the outer end of the bolt for straddling and engaging the holding plate and shoe to tie them together at their outer edges, means engaging the inner end of the bolt for bold ing said bolt in active position, and a projection adapted to be seated in the recess in the shoe to hold the plates against longitudinal sliding movement relative to the shoe.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

DANIEL WV. THOMAS. WVitnesses IV}? E. SIMPSON, HERBERT D. LAWsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G." 

